The latest on California politics and government

March 6, 2012

A 21-year-old woman who participated in Monday's "Occupy" of the state Capitol was arrested for the second time in two days after she returned to the rotunda and allegedly began throwing flower petals over a second-story balcony, according to a California Highway Patrol spokesman.

Anneliese Harlander was one of 68 people cited and released Monday night as they occupied the Capitol rotunda past closing to protest cuts to higher education.

CHP Captain Andy Menard said the UC Santa Cruz college student was one of about five or six individuals who tried to re-enter the Capitol building just before noon today with sleeping bags and pillows. The individuals were cleared to enter the building without their sleeping gear, which was detected during a security screening.

Menard said Harlander's actions soon caught the attention of officers in the rotunda area.

"She went up to the second floor of the rotunda and started chanting and dancing around the balcony, throwing scraps of paper and flower petals down onto the first floor," Menard said.

Menard said Harlander allegedly initially fled the scene, but was arrested without incident on suspicion of littering and demonstrating without a permit. She was transported to county jail.

"We cited and released her last night and it didn't work so the likelihood of her coming back and doing it again was pretty high," he said.

In all, 74 people were arrested during yesterday's rally, march and sit-in at the Capitol. Officials had previously pegged the number at 72, but Menard said two additional arrests were made yesterday evening on the south side of the building. One person was allegedly in possession of a billy club and the other was demonstrating without a permit, he said.